This webzine is online since August 2010 and is completely dedicated to Electronic Music (EM) identified as the Berlin School style and its derived. You will find interviews but mostly reviews of ambient, sequenced and symphonic EM with a glimpse on other related genres. You have questions or want your music to be reviewed? Please read the 123 FAQ section attentively. Bear in mind the main purpose of this Blog. So welcome in and I hope it will guide you into the wonderful world of EM.

jeudi 16 juin 2016

“Did I liked Vanguard 2? So much, that my mind is set! I have to dig the universe of Mr. Pickford”

1 Dreamrider 7:382 Deep Blue Horizon 6:253 Release 6:444 Look Into Your Heart 5:505 North Eagle 12:136 Teardrop Serenade 5:357 Slide Rules 4:528 Wish U 5:479 Meltwater 9:2210 Break 6:35AD Music | AD167 CD (CD/DDL 71:02)****(Mix of England School, Synth-Pop and Electronica)How to explain the phenomenon Andy Pickford? The man arises from this class of English musicians who, at the beginning of the 80s, have set up the structures of the England School style. And 3 of these sound disciples (Mark Shreeve, Ian Boddy and Mr Pickford) have left to exploit various paths of the contemporary MÉ. If one of them goes for a dark and heavy England School, the other one goes for the same style with a zest of creativity in the kind of Électronica. When to Andy Pickford, he crossed downright the limits by touching these two styles while exploiting the melodious Synth-pop variable. And some 17 years later after Lughnasad, appeared in 1998, Andy Pickford, not without having to affix his claw with Binar and Spank the Dark Monkey, made a strong comeback with Vanguard 1. The answer of the public was immediate; Vanguard 1 was going to become one of the good sellers for the AD Music label. And how explain the phenomenon? Let's say that I was never a fan until my ears cross this Vanguard 1. Furthermore, the excellent Flying Over Me, whom we find on the compilation E-Scape 2016, is a real bomb of emotions which totally crossed me. The phenomenon is that of an artist whom I found totally uninteresting has eventually interested me excessively, giving me more than about ten albums to explore during the next months ..."Dreamrider" begins with a feminine voice which articulates with difficulty in a loudspeaker on the blink. A line of pulsations spreads a series of compulsive keys which jump deeply. Electronic effects, one would say voices of spectres, decorate this movement of fiery rhythm which grows rich of its metallic tsitt-tsitt of which the electric current belong to rhythms of dance. Another line of sequences makes its keys sparkle in harmonious mode while orchestrations throw an Arabian veil to "Dreamrider" which is a solid electronic rock as much harmonious as lively. That starts things well! And as in Vanguard 1, the 10 titles of “Vanguard 2” are welded in a long mosaic of 71 minutes where the phases of modern EM are intertwining under all its forms. "Deep Blue Horizon" binds itself with effects of dissolved voices which float such as gases of ether. The 1st part of "Deep Blue Horizon" is forged in the cloudiness with these voices which float between two spheres before that percussions perturb these ambiences to forge a slow tempo coated of some pretty good orchestrations in the kind of Magical Mystery Tour from The Beatles. If we are near to the doors of meditation here, "Release" strikes us quite hard with a sharp hyper movement of trance. Sequences and percussions seethe in spirals of rhythm highly pulsatory loaded with effects of dance and trance of the years Orbital or Prodigy. Neurons are breathless? "Look Into Your Heart" puts back the pendulums to zero with a very beautiful and delicate ballad. Crystal clear sequences, with a zest of flute, weave a line of spiral harmony which swirls in a stroboscopic effect slowed down by a dense veil of arrangements filled of ghost voices. The effect does very Halloween, the movie theme, but in a more ethereal envelope. We sink more and more into the charms Andy Pickford with the very attractive "North Eagle". The longest track of “Vanguard 2” proposes tribal atmospheres of the South of the USA with a structure which offers a delicate crescendo and of which the subtle evolution is peppered of great effects of acoustic guitar and by an Elvish voice which hums and murmurs in harmonies of flutes sometimes rather acute. We are enthralled to the first listening and we never see the time fly by. "Teardrop Serenade" stays a little in the Western genre with a very nice ballad decorated with effects and with some rather great film arrangements which would fit very well with certain music of Ennio Morricone. The rhythm is delicately pulsatory and the melody of the synth is as well bewitching as Flying Over Me, effects of acoustic guitar in plus. We have tears hanging on on the outline of our soul. And this continuous with "Slide Rules" which offers a structure of lunar Jazz with stars which sparkle and sing on the slow roundness of a very beautiful line of bass. "Wish U" encroach a little on the atmospheres of "Slide Rules" with a kind of chant which is sung from a minaret. We think of pursuing on this lineage of quiet music begun by "Look Into Your Heart" when a line of bass sequences is crawling and that some quite energizing percussions are lifting another line of sequences more in mode of those always melodic patterns of Andy Pickford which swirls in a stroboscopic effect. The rhythm is slow but also lively than heavy with luxurious arrangements of the genre Arabic and Middle East. After an introduction of more than 2 minutes decorated with paradisiacal noises, "Meltwater" accosts our ears with a very good down-tempo built upon delicious effects of percussions of which the echo in the form of a crossbow spring is as much appealing as this vampiric melody weaved by effects of synth which wave beneath the full moon. Stroboscopic strands and solid percussions establish the assizes of a heavy, slow and very enthralling rhythm while the arrangements lead the portion of harmony to another level. This is some great, as a lot of titles here, Andy Pickford who shows his ability to surf on the models of England School, Synth-Pop and Electronica. "Break" binds itself marvellously to "Meltwater". One can even establish it as its older brother so much the heavy but slow structure is its equivalence. The synth is very different and more present with very sharp solos, which also sound as a guitar tortured by magic fingers, and breezes forged in the emotionalism whereas that the heavy bass line works a more sensual down-tempo and the percussions are slamming like distant souvenirs of Jean Michel Jarre, making of "Break" and "Meltwater" the catalysts to put back “Vanguard 2” at its beginning point and even to prepare us for Vanguard 1. Here is the phenomenon Andy Pickford! And I read somewhere that Vanguard would be a trilogy and the 3rd chapter is already in the vaults of AD Music.Sylvain Lupari (June 16th, 2016)

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Qui suis-je

Bonjour!
My name is Sylvain Lupari from Joliette in Quebec (Canada). I’m known as Phaedream all over the Internet since the beginning of 2000 where I started to write reviews. In 2005, I joined the French Webzine Guts of Darkness and on August 2010 I created a Blog, Synth & Sequences, which has reached the point of 1 000,000 visitors on February 2017 where I also wrote my 1354th review. In French and in English, I wrote more than reviews of EM albums.
This Blog is a huge success and reference about the music which sets my mind free over the years. Too many chronicles, so I have to split this Blog in several sections. Robert Schroeder is the first to welcome my thoughts on Webpress.
So, welcome to this part of my Blog Synth&Sequences which is devoted to the music, the tones and sounds of Aachen’s own Robert Schroeder.
Here you will find informations about his career and discography and latest news as well as deep reviews about his music, his albums.
My only wish is to guide you through his impressive career and may I suggest to visit regularly my Blog Synth & Sequences for more updates on EM.